Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

planning to review the security footage and trace things back to my people. Having them open the door when you say would be exposing them. Anyway, I don’t have anything to prove to you. Take my offer or leave it. I don’t care either way.”

“All the cameras are for show,” said Grostonk. “Husthar ran out of money before he could get them hooked up. So, do it. Prove to me your network’s real, and I’ll join your team. Otherwise, I’ll be back in an hour with lunch.”

The lock clicked.

Eridani buried her surprise. “Fine,” she said, and she pushed open her cell door. “Is that proof enough for you?”

Hastily, Grostonk shoved it closed, but it clicked and drifted open. It buzzed as he held it in place awhile, but when he stood back, it drifted open again. “Okay, okay, I’m convinced!”

“So, you’ll join my team?”

“Do I get a place in your crew?” he asked.

“Of course, you do,” said Eridani, and she pulled the cell door closed, locking it back in place.

His tusks glinted. “All right, I’m in.”

“Good. The first thing I’ll need you to do is raid sick bay for all the melephundan tranquilizer you can find.” He retrieved his datapad and took notes as she detailed her plan.

At the far end of the passageway, standing inside a dark and dusty security office, Eleski watched the video feed with a thrilled smile. She erased everything for the past hour and withdrew her biomechanical tendrils from the brig’s control panel. Whistling to herself, she pushed the rolling bucket to the lift and boarded it. She propped herself upon the handle, and the doors slid closed.

◆◆◆

Later that night, Grostonk collected Eridani from her cell. He nudged her along toward the lift, and they boarded. Ascending to the starship’s command deck, Grostonk shoved her through the gap in a curved railing, onto the bridge. “Hey Husthar,” he said. “I caught this one poking around in communications.”

“Let me go,” said Eridani, and she struggled against his grip.

Bloodtusk pushed a button on the conn and rose from the captain’s chair. The button pulsed red. “Ostonk, you told me she was in the brig!”

“She was,” said Ostonk. “I checked the lock, myself!”

“Well, she found a way out,” said Grostonk, and he regarded his twin. “It wasn’t the renovations, either. You screwed up. Try copping to it, maybe just this once. See how it feels. You might like it.”

“Shove it up your ass,” growled Ostonk. He stomped over to Grostonk and reached back to strike him.

“Careful now,” said Grostonk. “There’s a lady present.”

Bloodtusk lumbered close and took Eridani by the chin. “Man, you stink. Grostonk, you couldn’t find time to walk her down to the showers?”

“She refused,” said Grostonk.

“If course she did,” muttered Bloodtusk, and he swiveled Eridani’s head this way and that. “What were you doing in communications?”

“I was trying to save the lives of your crew,” she said.

“She was placing a call with the starship Watchtower,” said Grostonk. “She said it’s her brother’s, but I wasn’t able to verify that. Telemetry indicates Watchtower is deep in the nightmare right now.”

“Watchtower… That name sounds familiar.” Bloodtusk narrowed his eyes. “So, it’s your brother’s starship, huh? Why ever would you try to call your brother instead of sneaking away on my shuttle?”

Eridani reared back, slipping free of his grip. “I was headed there next.”

“I’m sure you were,” said Bloodtusk. “Right now, I bet you’re wishing that’s where you went first.”

Near the viewscreen, an overhead grating vanished noiselessly into its vent. Without a sound, Torsha gracefully descended from the gap and touched down on the deck. Still some distance away, she positioned herself directly behind Bloodtusk.

“Listen to me,” said Eridani. “My brother is growing more powerful every day. A week before Yuletide, he teleported to Cavern Lake from inside the nightmare. If he finds me here, he’s going to kill everyone aboard except me!”

Silently, Torsha crossed the deck and extended her claws. Sharpened to needle points, steel sheaths covered each of them. Potent tranquilizer glistened upon their tips.

“Listen to you?” sneered Bloodtusk. “Not when I know you’re lying. Binaries can’t use their powers in the nightmare. It’s a proven fact.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, because it happened,” said Eridani.

Ostonk perked up. “Husthar, hold on a minute. I smell something.”

“It’s this one,” said Bloodtusk, and he gave Eridani a look of disgust.

“No, it’s something else,” said Ostonk.

Just as he turned around, Torsha injected one set of claws into Ostonk’s shoulder and the other into Bloodtusk’s back. “Surprise,” she said, and she pulled away, leaving her steel coverings behind. “I hope you both hit something sharp on the way down.”

Ostonk toppled backward, cracking his head open on the edge of the railing.

Bloodtusk whirled around to confront Torsha directly. “Not that surprised, actually.” A wicked grin crawled up his face, as his trunk writhed. He ripped open his shirt, revealing an armored vest beneath, and the poisoned caps fell harmlessly to the deck. “Grostonk sent me a text with all his notes attached. Nice try, though. Eridani, I really don’t know how you can sleep at night knowing you keep getting your friends killed.” He reached for his belt but found his replacement hunting knife missing.

“Forget something?” asked Grostonk.

“He didn’t,” said Torsha, and she stepped back with Bloodtusk’s oversized knife in hand.

“You’re a tricky one,” said Bloodtusk. “I didn’t even feel you take it from me. Do a little pickpocketing in your time?”

Torsha smiled slyly. “Give up, you piece of shit. This is the only time I’ll ask.”

“I don’t think so,” said Bloodtusk, and he glanced at the pulsing red button on his conn. “My entire security team is already on its way. You won’t even be able to board the lift. But just to be on the safe side, Grostonk?”

“Yeah?”

“Break Eridani’s arms,” said Bloodtusk. “If anger cat doesn’t drop the knife in three seconds, break Eridani’s neck.”

“Nah,” said Grostonk. “I don’t really feel like hurting her.”

“I gave you an order,” snarled Bloodtusk, and he cast Grostonk a baleful glare.